This invention relates to a board game and to a method of playing the same.
More particularly, the game and method of the invention is generally characterized by the fact that simulated race courses imprinted on the board are marked with indicia which represent simulated units of time.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a board game simulating racing events comprising a board imprinted with a design indicating at least one course for a racing event and starts and finishes of the courses, indicia along each course indicating simulated units of time, the indicia also extending beyond the finishes of the courses, pieces representing racers to be moved along the courses and means for selecting by chance the number of indicia a piece is to be moved along the course. In preferred embodiments, the selecting means is a set of cards marked with integers for indicating a number of indicia a piece is to be moved. Alternatively, the selecting means may be other means, such as a spinner. Preferably, the game also includes a second set of cards marked with integers from 1 to 9 indicating respective tenths of a second, the indicia on the board indicating integral numbers of seconds.
Most preferably, in the board game there are a plurality of courses imprinted on at least one board and each of the courses represents a winter olympics sporting event, in most instances a racing event.
The hereinabove described type of game is played by directing each player to place a piece at the start of a course, directing the players to draw a predetermined number of cards and move their pieces along the course a number of indicia according to the numbers appearing on the cards, and directing each player at the conclusion of his selecting the total number of cards allowed for the course to calculate the time his piece is considered to have expended in traversing the course by starting with a predetermined fixed time considered to be elapsed from start to finish of the course and adding to or substracting from that time a quantity of time calculated by multiplying the number of indicia by which his piece fell short of the finish or passed the finish, respectively, by a predetermined quantity of time per indicia. The predetermined quantity of time will generally be a predetermined integral number of seconds. Of course, if a player's piece happens to be exactly on the finish at the conclusion of his drawing and moving his piece according to the total number of cards allowed, then the time his piece is considered to have expended in traversing the course is exactly the predetermined fixed base time for the course.
Preferably, a second set of cards is provided each marked with one of the integers 1 to 9. Cards are drawn from the second set at the conclusion of the race, particularly when there is a tie, to determine tenths of seconds for the time elapsed by each of the pieces.
When the game includes at least one board imprinted with a plurality of courses representing, for example, various events of the winter olympics, the players are directed to traverse each of the courses according to the foregoing procedure, the players are also directed to score a predetermined number of points for each course depending upon their order of finish and the players are finally directed to declare the player thus accumulating the greatest number of points the winner of the entire game, for example, the winter olympics, in which latter case each player may be considered to be a predetermined particular country competing in the winter olympics.